One second Check
by Vicks111
Summary: In which Schneizel finds himself lacking the strength he had always prided himself of possessing. In which he also considers himself so much more than his siblings, yet can't help but feel the same way they do. Spoilers for R2 18 & 19


**Disclaimer: Characters belong to Sunrise**

So, I disappear for months and return with a mere oneshot? Bad, bad author. But I AM working on my stories, just not posting for the moment. Believe me, it's as frustrating to you as it is to me.

This one came after watching episode 19 of R2, and the fact that I just love Schneizel to pieces. Schneizel-denka needs more love!!

_Before someone asks:_

-denka: is affixed to the end of a non-sovereign royal title, with a meaning similar to "Royal Highness" or "Majesty" (from wiki XD)

Also, please remember authors love to hear what readers think of their work. What you liked, what you didn't like (as long as you write your opinions with respect), so please indulge me and leave something more than just "this rocks" or "this sucks" in your review, if you feel like writing one. XD

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_**One-second Check, later known in the world of chess as "Schneizel's Move"**_

_**By Vicks111**_

It took only one second for the Prime Minister to realize what just had happened and all it encompassed. One second for the girl who hated Zero the most to realize just what her work had caused; one second for the faithful knight of the second prince to back slightly from the seat of his highness, probably the only one of the three who had realized from the beginning what that warhead could possibly do. It took at least two seconds for F.L.E.I.A to destroy a great part of the Tokyo settlement and take millions of lives.

She ran – the girl that played to be a scientist – as soon as the explosion ended and she had assessed the damage she had inevitably caused. The Second Prince of Britannia stood, ordering a ship ready and at least one of the Knights of Rounds. The Earl Maldini snapped out of his disbelief and proceeded to swiftly deal with everything needed. All of the soldiers were deployed to the smaller convoy, and the rest where helping at the lower decks to the remaining knightmare frames.

In less than five minutes, Kanon had everything his highness could possibly need. Mordred was ready to be deployed, as Tristan had yet to return. In less than five minutes, Nina had to take the decision whether to throw her heart away to be a real scientist, or to keep and try to heal the pieces of her broken heart.

But it took more than five minutes for Schneizel to do anything. He had stopped in a hallway, on his way to the ship he was about to take, and just leaned against a wall on his side, not really looking forward, but unable to close his eyes. He knew very well what he had to do – he had known all along, after all, he had approved the usage of the warhead.

The cold strategist, the prime minister, and even the second prince, they all had decided to use the warhead. Schneizel, however, was usually left without a voice, because always he had let those others take the decisions for him. Once upon a time, he had reasoned that looking at the situation from all those aspects, the best decision could be made. A democracy, the majority wins for logical purposes.

That was why he was always better than Odysseus – his brother could not separate his duties as a prince from his feelings or the rules of Britannia from his own morale and _he always made decisions upon what others wanted of him__; he always wanted to please everyone_. Schneizel had decided that his reasoning was simply brilliant, and this way he would always make the best decision.

And yet…there he was, standing in that hallway, not able to move forward and unable to turn back. He had lost so much already, his brother and sisters, and he had never had the time to sit and grieve. When Clovis was killed, he had to finish everything concerning Area 18 and the paperwork so Cornelia could go to Area 11. When Euphemia went berserk, he had to return quickly to the mainland and assess all the damage and repercussions. And now, poor Nunnally, who had been made Governor because he _requested_ it, was now dead, when all she deserved was to live happily with her brother.

He had promised them both, on their graves, that he would stop Zero. He had promised Nunnally to return her brother to her. If there was someone out there to make it happen, that was him alright; even after he was told of the identity of Zero. His will became stronger and he had a reason to fight.

He heard a cheerful jingle which probably was his cellphone, but paid no heed to it. Kanon was probably looking for him already, but he had taken a usually unused alley to get to the hangar. He realized then that it was the most deliberate thing _he_ had done all day.

He always realized things in hindsight; it always took him some time for him to come to terms with his feelings. It wasn't until he arrived in Area 11 when he finally felt the pang of his brother's death – even though he had been at his funeral – and he only felt the grief of Euphemia's dead until Cornelia went missing.

He had buried the pain, never stopping for one second in his work. This made the others – the strategist, the prime minister and the second prince – stronger, and whenever he stopped, he had to recur to sweet Nunnally to calm him.

Kanon found him, eventually, he guessed, anyone could. Schneizel didn't see the way his eyes looked pained and how he reached for his shoulder, trying to show affection or something akin to it, and then stopped himself. Schneizel only heard his soft footsteps and waited until the other decided to talk.

"All is ready, my lord."

"I need a few minutes."

The prince never turned to face him, and Kanon knew better than to make himself a nuisance. He knew his place very well, after all, "Understood." He turned to leave, but his master's voice surprised him, "I don't seem to move forward."

Kanon stopped and wondered whether he was supposed to say something. "It's not that I _can't, _mind you," Schneizel continued, and Kanon then guessed he was just supposed to listen, "it's just that every possible move right now, can and will probably worsen things for everyone and won't bring me closer to resolving this situation in a satisfactory manner."

"Perhaps had I gotten to Zero before the United Federation of Nations was stated, then the situation would have resolved itself once Zero was gone. Ridding the world of Zero right now won't change a thing, and yet it has to be done."

'This world is a very cruel place,' he wanted to say, an echo of his own feelings that won't actually do anything but assert his lord's foul mood. Slowly he walked back towards his master and stood almost beside him, but did not make a move to look at his face. His prince's moment of weakness should not be intruded, even if he was allowed to witness it.

"I can't save him, not anymore."

Schneizel straightened up, fixing his white coat where it had wrinkled against the wall to his right. He started moving forward, and Kanon could only gape at him, "Master! Save him, that's…that's…"

"He is my _brother, _Kanon. I cannot hate him for what he has done; Euphemia certainly couldn't." Kanon quickly matched his pace now, and even dared walking in front of him.

"But Clovis-denka, Euphemia-sama…" he faltered at the look on Schneizel's face, "forgive me, for I am intruding in something that does not concern me, but is the look on his Highness face what I believe it is?"

"You have gotten to know me very well it seems, Kanon. Perhaps you are the closest person to me, the only one that has seen me like this." Schneizel covered his face with his hands, though, because even if he trusted him so much, he could not possibly let anyone see him like this. "Lelouch is a threat _now."_

Walking past him, Schneizel brushed his hair away from his face, combing his hair with his gloved fingers. Kanon Maldini failed to accompany his master to the ship waiting for them. He needed a minute of two to recover and be what was expected of him, and he couldn't certainly do that near his Highness; not after seeing his face like that, eyes dilated and more scared than he had ever seen him. Probably something that had only happened once, after Euphemia-sama's massacre, if what his master had once told him was correct.

As Schneizel reached the ship, he glanced upwards, a silent prayer to his lost siblings:

_I shall stop Zero_

_I shall return Nunnally her brother_

…_I shall…_

In that one second when F.L.E.I.A. had been detonated, the strategist had certainly assessed his chances at winning this war and knew very well what cards he would play; the Prime Minister of Britannia was shaken at the amount of resources and losses the Holy Empire had taken. The Second Prince was horrified at the incredible amounts of life that warhead must have taken. But Schneizel could only think one thing:

…_I shall grant my brother his wish…_

For now, surely, that boy would certainly want nothing more than to die for what his war had leaded them to. He chuckled against his better judgement, "perhaps I resemble Odysseus onii-sama more than I thought."

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_"When I become emperor, I shall thrive to make pandas the official animal of our beloved empire! All hail the majestic pandas!! All hail Britannia!!" - Second Prince and Prime Minister, Schneizel El Britannia, Opening speech at the Royal Elections, 2019 a.t.b._

- end lame ambiguos author's joke on Schneizel's alignment -

Schneizel's Panda RIP - episode 20 of R2 -


End file.
